Rabbi & Mrs. Simcha Frankel for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Simcha Frankel’s mother Ratza Liba bas Chaim ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.
Also for the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Simcha Frankel’s grandfather Mannis benYitzchak Leib halevi ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

Mr. & Mrs. Avrohom Aron Grunfeld for the yahrtzeit of Mr. Avrohom Aron Grunfeld’s father Moshe Yaakov ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

This week is Shabbos Mevarchim Elul. Elul, the last month of the year, is a month of Cheshban HaNefesh, a time that we make a spiritual accounting of all that has transpired in the past year. In business finance one needs to review the books to be eligible for a new line of credit. So too, in Elul we provide Hashem an assurance that we are committed to fulfill His will of learning Torah and doing Mitzvos. Then on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we ask Hashem to open a new line of credit.
In order to prepare for our new line of credit, we need to consult our ‘accountant’ to see how well we did with last year’s credit line. This accounting extends throughout the month of Elul which lasts thirty days. Each day of the month numerically corresponds to that day in all of the months from the previous year (e.g. The first Elul corresponds to the first of each month etc.) Beginning with Chai Elul, each day corresponds to an entire month. We ‘balance our books’ with Teshuva U’maisim Tovim in order to merit a good sweet year.
To make things easier Chassidus teaches us about Melech B’Sadeh and the Yud Gimmel Midos Harachamim. Hashem receives and welcomes each and everyone one of us as we are with a shining countenance and encourages us to approach and come close.
Therefore, beginning with Shabbos Mevarchim Elul, the last month of the year we begin to put our ‘house in order’ to protect from anything unwanted, and through this everyone will be bentched with a Ksiva Vechasim Tovah, a good g’bentched yohr.
This avodah is illustrated though the following story. One year, on Simchas Torah the Rebbe Rashab was not ready to begin Hakafos. He called over a business man and asked him about how he conducts his business. The man explained that he takes a loan and uses the money to buy the stock that he sells in the market. After a while he needs an additional loan. In order to qualify for the new loan, he makes payments on the first loan to show the bank that he has good credit. When he begins his payment plan the bank sees his good credit and then gives him a new loan.
The Rebbe Rashab concluded that so too is this true for us in Tishrei. Tishrei is the new line of credit. We begin our review and payment plan on last year’s loan in Elul. We increase in Teshuva, Torah, Tefilla and Tzedaka. Then Selichos arrives and we continue to increase even more in these areas. So too in Rosh HaShana and Eseres Ymei Teshuva and Sukkos. At the end of Sukkos and we arrive at Hakafos; and the meaning of Hakafos is a loan, we can now seal our new loan and be zocheh to a new good line of credit. At that point the Rebbe went to Hakafos. Hashem in His kindness gives us Elul to make good on our loan.

The Raichik Family for the yahrtzeit of their mother Leah bas Avrohom Abble ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.

Rabbi & Mrs. Tzvi Boyarsky in honor of their anniversary. May they have many more happy years together.
Also in honor of Rabbi Tzvi Boyarsky’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Mr. & Mrs. Ariel Haratz in honor of Mr. Ariel Haratz’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

The passing of Ahron HaKohen is mentioned three times in the Torah; in parshas Chukas, in parshas Masay and in parshas Eikev. In parshas Eikev it is mentioned immediately following a narration of Moshe’s receiving the Luchos, the sin of the golden calf and the subsequent breaking of the Luchos. Rashi comments that the passing of a Tzaddik is like both the day of the sin of the golden calf and the breaking of the luchos.
In a fabrengen on parshas Eikev 5730 which fell out as it does this year on Chof Av, the Rebbe discussed the Rashi mentioned above. When a Tzaddik passes it’s like the luchos being broken. Also, although the Yidden were successful in defeating King Arad, still they feared and retreated all the way back to Gudgoda. This caused Shevet Levi to chase after them and fight with them until they returned. The fact that the Yidden chose to retreat is comparable to the golden calf. By running away, they were running from Hashem instead of going forward with the trust in Hashem that they would continue to be successful.
This fabrengen took place three years after the Six Day War. The Rebbe had voiced his opposition against the cease fire that Israel had just agreed to keep with Egypt. He said that the Egyptians would just use the opportunity to position new missiles. At this point in the fabrengen the Rebbe became animated and spoke with emotion. He said that we had seen the miracles in the Six Day War and that the Israeli Army should go forward with a preemptive campaign and bomb their missile sites. He said that it was permissible to use their phantom jets to fly sorties even on the Shabbos as it was a matter of pikuach nefesh. (It is known that many of casualties in the Yom Kippur War were due to the lack of airspace caused by Egyptian missiles). Just as with with the assault of King Arad, the Bnei Yisroel were afraid even though they were the victors. They kept retreating further and further, from one place to the next until they reversed course a distance of eight journeys! It’s as if they were saying that indeed there were miracles yesterday, but today is new and who knows what will be if we do not retreat. Amalek arrives and cools down the neshama. After this, fear settles in. If Shevet Levi had not intervened, who knows how far they may have retreated.
Fourteen years earlier in 1956 Israel won decisively against their enemies yet pressure lead to giving up territories. We know what kind of peace comes from giving up territories, often enough the peace is not even temporary. Forty years ago the Rebbe said that in the government there are Jews that are prepared to give not just territories but the entire Golan and Yerushalayim as well R’L. The only reason they have not done so is because they have not been able to come up with the proper diplomatic wording. They characterize Yerushalayim as the place of three great world religions, while everyone knows the truth that it’s the place that Shlomo HaMelech built the Beis HaMikdash. There was no other great center for the others. Instead they speak about a horse going into Heaven.
The Rebbe said that when he was a child their teacher taught them that by looking into the parsha they could see what was happening in the world. He also said that it makes him happy when he finds a connection between the parsha and current events.
The Rebbe then began to weep and said that when he read the Haftorah he saw in it a connection to current events. The Rebbe shouted the words of the Haftorah. Hashem says, “I came and you were not there”. Not only did I come, but; “I call and you do not answer”. There is no response. “Am I unable to bring your salvation?” At this point the Rebbe could not continue. The words of this Sicha from 41 years ago ring in our ears today as we realize that we are making the same mistake again in Eretz Yisroel הי לא תהי".
Just as we apply this lesson from the parsha to global events, so too we need to apply it to our individual daily lives. Hashem provides our needs and nevertheless the yeitzer hara throws us a curve ball. Then we become fearful. We need to strengthen ourselves by remembering that we are Chassidim connected to the Rebbe. We saw with our own eyes repeatedly that what the Rebbe said came true. The Rebbe also said that we need to learn inyanei Geula and Moshiach. We need to prepare ourselves, our children and the world at large for Moshiach.

The rebbe encouraged everyone to listen to a daily siyum from the beginning of the 9 days through tu b’av. You can participate in a siyum every night after maariv at the shul. Thank you to all those who volunteered to make siyumim.

Women's Taharas hamishpocha event this Monday, August 15 in honor of Tu B'Av at Bais Chaya Mushka.Click here for more info.

The theme of this week’s parsha is davening. The name of the parsha itself, Vaeschanan, means tefilla. Moshe Rabenu davened 515 tefilos, the numerical value of Vaeschanan, to merit to enter Eretz Yisroel. Also, in this week’s parsha the first chapter of the Shema, a central part of davening is found.
This week is Shabbos Nachamu. Hashem sends to us the Navi to comfort us and bring us hope regarding the future. This is related to davening as well. Many parts of davening are pleas to Hashem to take us out of galus. Also, davening takes the place of karbonos in the Beis HaMikdash.
In davening, before Baruch Sheamar and after Shir Shel Yom we say the tefilla of Hosheanu. We say; “Deliver us, Lord our G-d; gather us from among the nations that we may give thanks to your holy Name and glory in your praise.” We are davening to Hashem that Klal Yisroel be gathered from among the nations and be redeemed.
There is a story about the fifth son of the Tzemach Tzedek, Rav Yosef Yitzchcok. Rav Yosef Yitzchcok married the daughter of Rav Yaakov Yisroel of Chekas and later became the Father in Law of the Rebbe Rashab. The Previous Rebbe was named after him. Once, the Shver of Rav Yosef Yitzchcok asked him how he davens. The answer he gave was that he davens; “b’tzibur”. His Shver took that to mean that he davens with a minyon. As it happened, on a particular occasion, the Shver of Rav Yosef Yitzchcok sent a messenger to inform him that he needed to speak with him. The messenger returned saying that he was in the middle of davening. Later, he sent another messenger who returned the same answer. The Shver, noticing that it was already late in the day, wondered how he could still be davening as there were no longer any minyonim to be found. He questioned his Son in Law; “I thought you davened b’tzibur with a minyon. Where was there a minyon at such a late hour?” He explained that what he meant when he said that he davened “b’tzibur” was something he had heard from his father, the Tzemach Tzedek who had heard it from the Alter Rebbe. The Alter Rebbe said, that when a person davens, he needs to gather together all the 10 powers of his soul, and daven with them b’tzibur, together. He then told his Shver, that to do that properly takes a long time.
What lesson does this teach us today? We have many sparks of Kedusha, parts of our neshama’s attention that are scattered and invested all over in different areas of our lives. We are involved in business ventures, in the chinuch of our children, in paying bills and taking care of our homes. We need to pull all of these aspects together with one focus. Then the whole person is davening with one intention; to serve Hashem. To be able to focus, it would be helpful close our cell phones, not even on vibrate, and stop answering text messages. It would also be helpful to learn Chassidus before davening and to learn the pirush hamilos, the meaning of the words of davening. This will help us to place our focus into the davening. Then each one can do his or her best to daven b’taibur.
To daven this way is kibutz golius-the ingathering of the exiles of each person. The purpose is that this should be for Hashem. This is the proper preparation for the geula, to be together with Hashem in the third Beis HaMikdash, Now!

Shifra & Puah is arranging dinners for the Newman family. If you can help out please click here and fill in which day you can do. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Inna Vcherashansky at 310-738-0092.

The rebbe encouraged everyone to listen to a daily siyum from the beginning of the 9 days through tu b’av. You can participate in a siyum every night after maariv at the shul. Thank you to all those who volunteered to make siyumim.

Yarchei Kallah will continue on Sunday the 7th of Av. For more information and to register online visit Yarcheikallah.com.

Rabbi Yosef Bukiet’s final Shiur to the women about the Beis Hamikdosh will be this Sunday, 7 Av/August 7, at the Schneerson’s, 364 N Fuller Ave. from 10-11 am. Followed by the weekly Tehillim group.

Mr. & Mrs. Reuvein Caplan in honor of Mr. Reuvein Caplan’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Rabbi & Mrs. Dovi Goldman in honor of Rabbi Dovi Goldman’s birthday. May he have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Mr. & Mrs. Dovid Kagen in honor of Mrs. Judy Kagen’s birthday. May she have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.
Also in honor of his their daughter Sheina's birthday May she have a shnas hatzlocho begashmiyus ubruchniyus.

Mr. David Milner for the yahrtzeit of his mother Shein bas Shlomo ob"m. May the neshomo have an aliya.